Oscar hope for music of star Raven

Music by a Black Country-born rock star who died in 2007features in Oscar-nominated film.

Four tracks by Paul Raven’s band Ministry are used inThe Hurt Locker – hotly-tipped to do well at the awards next month.

The film is nominated in the award for best music. Paul’s mother, Kate,said it was an “amazing tribute” to her son, who died of a suspected heart attack aged 46. Mrs Raven, of Tettenhall,Wolverhampton, said: “Paul would have been so proud that his music was in the film and so are we.

“He would have loved to go to the Oscars. He might even have been on the red carpet.

“Lots of people who have seen the trailer for the film have mentioned to me that the music has been used.

“I think Paul’s name is in the credits at the end of the film too which is nice.”

Paul, known as Raven, played bass guitar with post-punk band Killing Joke before working with Prong, Godflesh and Ministry.

The four tracks in the film – Khyber Pass, Fear, Palestenia and Your Smiling Face – were all written by Raven alongside fellow Ministry member Al Jourgensen.

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker leads the way in this year’s awards, with nine nominations and is expected to go head-to-head for best film against 3D epic Avatar, directed byBigelow’s ex-husband James Cameron.

The Hurt Locker follows an Army bomb squad as they navigate their way through Iraq in 2004. Raven, who grew up in Tettenhall and is the son of Black Country singer and entertainer Jon Raven, died in October 2007 in Geneva, Switzerland, as he worked on a new album.

He had a stint in Neon Hearts and the short-lived 1982 glam rock band Kitsch.

In 1982 he replaced Killing Joke bassist Youth for his most commercially successful stint.

Jourgensen said he would be “truly missed by artists, musicians and fans the world over”.